Erectile dysfunction – it’s no laughing matter to those who suffer its indignities. But that’s just what Kelly Dawn and Rockie Dale, romantic partners and co-authors of EDucation, LESSONS TO MANAGE ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION, aim to change with this lighthearted romp through causes, effects and strategies for overcoming a most prickly dilemma. While a woman’s knee-jerk reaction might be to gift this title to her frustrated man, the authors designate it as required reading for men and women. After all, both parties have a dog in this fight. Apparently, there is plenty a woman can do to help her man achieve an erection, not the least of which is to, ahem, fake orgasms. (Feel the breeze as legions of feminists faint in unison.)
Psychological factors that contribute to ED are explored at length. In one instance, the power of talking dirty is comically presented as one of many ways to get a man back on his high horse. And for all those women out there who might be the surprised recipients of a texted pic of their man’s towering mojo, well, deleting it in horror is a big, fat no-no. This gesture is a “present,” and the proper response from the woman should be one of sheer disappointment that she was not around to personally celebrate such an impressive achievement. (The breeze of fainting feminists just kicked up into a hair-whipping, full-blown gale.)
But first things first. It is imperative to understand that ED is not a rarity, but oftentimes a commonly experienced winding down of things as men hit their twilight years. Stress is also fingered as a culprit as are medication side effects, various health conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, drug and alcohol abuse, and the infamous “whisky dick” – that thing that happens when a man drinks so much that nothing happens. Once all the reasons for ED are named, the authors urge readers to kick “ED” out of the bedroom. It is time to roll out some remedies and, of course, Viagra and pals get a mention though men are cautioned that slugging one back with a shot of liquor is a self-deflating act. A much better antidote is physical exercise, which can give men a “double-barrel boost” by increasing blood flow and deep-sixing depression. Makes sense. And when circumstances finally do get a rise out of a man, couples are advised to never waste such a perfectly solid . . . opportunity.
Yes, this book is brimming with nuggets of wisdom intended to bring new life back to the bedroom. The problem for some readers, however, may well be that none of it really dives deeply enough into what is a highly complex, physically confusing, emotionally distressing malady. The authors risk turning off those who find no humor in their condition and feel it deserves more measured treatment than the silly song titles that preface each section (“Big Balls” by ACDC, for example), campy caricatures, and cutesy repetitive “wink winks” tacked on in parentheticals to let readers know they were just served a witty, double entendre. The book skims the surface of ED in a consistently light-hearted manner that makes for an easy, entertaining read. It’s a deliberate strategy based upon the authors’ personal experiences with ED, which sent them reaching for books on the topic – all highly clinical. They recognized a need for something a little less austere. But for men (and their women) facing loss of intimacy and the subsequent mentally wounding effects of the condition, erectile dysfunction is not a laughing matter. While a bit of humor can provide occasional reprieve from the drone of a heavy topic, any book offering advice to people who are suffering from ED should perhaps try a bit harder to convey some sense of gravity along the way. A better balance between a witty and clinical voice may be the best strategy of all.
EDucation, LESSONS TO MANAGE ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION by Kelly Dawn and Rockie Dale draws on personal experiences with the condition to drive home advice in a fashion so relentlessly comical that, while it is bound to evoke giggles, might not garner serious enough attention from the intended audience: men who are struggling to rise to the occasion.
~Libby Wiersema for IndieReader